Northern Westchester Hospital Earns National Accreditation with Commendation from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons
Mt. Kisco (PRWEB) February 12, 2014 -- Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) has been granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons.
CoC accredited cancer programs must meet or exceed 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care. Accreditation with Commendation is only awarded to a facility that exceeds standard requirements.
The programs offered by the Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center at NWH focus on the full-spectrum of cancer care including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow-up for recurrent disease, and end-of-life care. Patients receiving care at Northern Westchester Hospital have access to clinical trials, leading-edge technologies such as the Gamma Knife Perfexion, genetic counseling, and patient-centered services including psycho-social support, a patient navigation process, and a survivorship care plan that seeks to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
Northern Westchester Hospital takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists. This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care and is required of a CoC-accredited cancer center.
“At Northern Westchester Hospital, we pride ourselves on treating the person, not just the disease. We recognize that complete treatment is found in combining medical treatments and complementary wellness services such as nutritional consultation, access to fitness classes, emotional support and integrative medicine into a plan of care that meets each patient’s individual needs. Our Center provides patients access to leading-edge therapies, previously found only in big city hospitals, in the comfort of their own community,” said Thomas Lester, MD, Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Chairman of the Cancer Committee, Northern Westchester Hospital.
Like all CoC-accredited facilities, Northern Westchester Hospital maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC and American Cancer Society (ACS). This nationwide oncology outcomes database is the largest clinical disease registry in the world. Data on all types of cancer are tracked and analyzed through the NCDB and used to explore trends in cancer care. CoC-accredited cancer centers, in turn, have access to information derived from this type of data analysis, which is used to create national, regional, and state benchmark reports. These reports help CoC facilities with their quality improvement efforts.
ACS estimates that more than 1.6 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2013. There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, representing 30 percent of all hospitals. CoC-accredited facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients. When cancer patients choose to seek care locally at a CoC-accredited cancer center, they are gaining access to comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care close to home. The CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-accredited cancer program through the CoC Hospital Locator at http://www.facs.org/cancerprogram/index.html.
About Northern Westchester Hospital
Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) provides high-quality, surgically-sophisticated, patient-centered care in Westchester County through a unique combination of medical expertise, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to humanity. More than 700 highly-skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and professional caregivers are all in place to ensure that you and your family receive treatment in a caring, respectful and nurturing environment.
NWH has established extensive internal quality measurements that surpass the standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA). Our New York surgeons uphold highest quality standards, helping to ensure that the treatment you receive at NWH is among the best in Westchester County and the nation. For a complete list of our services, please visit http://www.nwhc.net.
About the Commission on Cancer
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving patient outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. For more information, visit: http://www.facs.org/cancer.
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Contact:
Gretchen Mullin
Associate Director, Marketing & Communications
Northern Westchester Hospital
(914) 666-1266
Mark Vincent, Northern Westchester Hospital, +1 (914) 666-1295, [email protected]
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